Heal Me
by Little Miss English Nerd
Summary: After Hermione is cursed awfully by an unknown source, Draco, Harry, Dumbledore, and Ron set off on a mission to save her. As the curse progresses, will their attempts be even more futile? Formerly "What's in a Name?". R&R, por favor!
1. I'd do Anything for You

**DISCLAIMER: The characters belong to J.K Rowling, the plot is mine.**

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**Chapter 1**

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**Hermione POV**

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_The corpse in front of me twitched, its once glowing silver eyes dull and lifeless. No. No. It couldn't be! He couldn't be gone! After all we'd been through! NO!_

"_Hermione? Come here, Hermione. Why don't you come visit your Auntie Bella, dear? I'm not all that bad, now am I?" The evil witch crooned to me, as I sat in the straight backed chair, a gag in my mouth. _

_An excruciating pain tore through me, making my innards clench and my teeth grind together. I couldn't scream. I mustn't scream._

"_Come along, dear, don't be frightened. After I kill you, I'm only going to get your precious Potter, and maybe his orange friend, but I won't touch anyone else. I swear I won't, dearie." Bellatrix Lestrange's horrible grin drove its way through my mind as the agony swelled up again. _

_Voldemort's follower didn't give me another chance to speak, silencing me with another evil, deranged cackle. "Now, promise not to scream, doll. Avada Kedavra!" _

_The flash of green light pulsated before my eyes._

I awoke screaming.

The things surrounding me were startling, until I realized that I wasn't at Malfoy Manor. I was in my home.

My room was the same room it had always been; pale blue walls, a patterned quilt that my grandmother had made, flowing white curtains, and bookshelves that rose nearly to the ceiling, holding my most prized possessions.

"Hermione?" My mum's voice said through my bedroom door, sounding cautious and guarded.

Let's just say, it hadn't been the first time I'd been screaming during the middle of the night.

The door creaked open, mum's worried expression filling the crack. She noticed the tear streaks on my cheeks, she ran to my bed in her nightly garb, climbing in beside me and holding my trembling form close. The sobs tore through my chest, emerging into the world with a heartbreakingly awful sound.

My mother rocked me from side to side, as she used to do when I was little. I had been a miserable little girl, and my feelings were always hurt by the smallest of things. I'd often come home from school crying because Elsie Greene was being a bias, bullying, brat again. Mum had always known just what to do; she would hand me a piece of chocolate, rock me back and forth, and sing to me softly. Sometimes, dad would even join in, and their tone perfect voices would harmonize beautifully together. My love for singing and reading had both sprouted from bad experiences and hurt. I recalled reading somewhere that the best way to make the sadness disappear was to "make the sorrow beautiful." It had certainly worked out for me, and it seemed to do the same for others.

**(#1)**"The cruel war is raging, Johnny has to fight. I want to be with him, from morning till night. I want to be with him, it grieves my heart so. Won't you let me go with you? No, my love, no." Mother's mezzo soprano voice sang, easing my worries enormously with just one verse of the old song from my childhood.

Unexpectedly, my father's deeper tones rang out, enveloping me in warmth as Mum hummed along in the background. "Tomorrow is Sunday, Monday is the day. That your captain with call you, and you must obey. Your captain will call you, it grieves my heart so, won't you let me go with you? No, my love, no."

"Oh Johnny, oh Johnny, I fear you are unkind. I love you far better, than all of mankind. I love you far better, than words can 'ere express. Won't you let me go with you? Yes, my love, yes."

"Yes, my love, yes." They finished together, their contrasting voices blending beautifully.

For the first time in my life, the song made me cry harder. I was now just flat out bawling into my mother's shoulder, as she tried to shush me by murmuring things about waking the Malfoys. At this, I tried to stop breathing to muffle my noisy display. That just made me hyperventilate. She turned to dad, seeming desperate.

"William, go get 'Mione some water, would you, dear?"

I heard his retreating footsteps; he'd never been one to deal with crying females, along with all of the other men on the planet. It made me think of Draco.

Gasping, I turned to my mother, taking in her expression of surprise. "Mum! Dr-Draco, Mum! Wh-wh-where is he? She t-t-t-t-took him! We have to g-go find him! I c-c-can't lose h-h-him again!" My strangled sobs were making it hard to speak, but my mom seemed to get the message. Her eyes widened, and she once again charged through my door, not seeming at all like the thirty-nine-year-old she was, more thirteen or so.

I searched for my wand, but my tear induced, blurry eyes were impossible to see out of. I stubbed my foot on the edge of one of my bookcases, and I couldn't stop crying. Assuming a posture of utter defeat, I curled up into a ball and just cried. He was gone. I knew it. The dream was too real to have been just a dream.

The thought of losing him was just so absurd that I started laughing. Before long, it developed into a coughing, crying fit, reminding me of the witch who'd killed _him_.

My door creaked open once again, though I was too distraught to see who'd come to comfort me now. A soothing pair of arms encircled me, and I smelled a familiar scent. No. It couldn't be.

Head spinning, teary eyes wide, I caught sight of my amazing boyfriend. It was all I could do to not faint from relief. His messy midnight hair was standing straight up, the platinum blond sheen of it shining in the moonlight pouring through my windows. His screaming silver eyes shone, showing me all his emotions, just like an open book; relief, shock, confusion, adoration. His strong Quidditch player arms were still around me, supporting me the way a bank fund supports a college student. His lips were at my ear, whispering hastily to try to pull me out of my hysterics.

"Hermione, it's alright. Shh. You're safe. I'm safe. We're both here. It's okay. Bellatrix won't get you ever again, not even over my dead body."

With the last part of his sentence, a wail bursted from my lips. Draco smacked himself in the head and muttered, "Stupid, stupid, stupid. You're an idiot," to himself.

Everything went black.

"Dr-Dr-Draco. I can't-I can't see anything."

His voice was even more nervous than my parents' had been. "Yes-yes you can, Hermione. How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"Six?"

He gasped. Guess that was a no.

I felt a current of air flow in front of my face, and I assumed he was waving his hand, trying to get me to follow it with my eyes.

The strong arms were around me again, and I could tell Draco was as horrified as I.

I was suddenly lifted from my comfortable bed, Draco's arms around me tightly. He was mortified.

"Draco, I'm scared."

"We have to get you to St. Mungo's. Now." Was all he said, his voice hard, angry, and shaky. It gave me the impression that he was hiding something from me, but I decided to talk to him later.

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"Now, Miss Granger, can you follow the light?" The healer's nasally drawl asked, bored. **(#2)**

It felt as though somebody had draped a curtain over just my eyes. I could see really bright lights, but even then, just a faint outline.

When I didn't respond, the congested-sounding healer continued. "I guess not. Well, I've come to a conclusion. This looks rather familiar; I've read about it quite a few times, though I've never treated it before. It comes from a dark curse, a very ancient one, at that, that made quite an impact in the late nineteen hundreds. Thousands of people went completely blind from it," there was a faint click-click of something falling on the marble floor. He just _had_ to drop his pencil at one of the most dramatic points in my life! "But, we've since found a cure." Six thankful gasps were heard around the room, mine included. "Curing it is rather difficult, however. You will need to undergo some rigorous testing, and then you'll need to get some kind of DNA from whoever casted it on you. It can be done, though it will involve some effort. Are you willing to do this, Miss Granger? Is it worth it?"

Did this man have no sense of emotion? OF COURSE IT WAS WORTH IT! If I couldn't see, I could never read, never see Draco or anyone ever again, and I would probably need a seeing eye owl or something!

Draco answered for me. "Of course it's bloody worth it, man! Do you _WANT_ her to be blind? I thought you were supposed to _heal_ people, not discourage them from getting healed! Let's get going!" His voice held the same sort of tone as before, though at the end, it got closer to me, and calmer. He was now speaking to me. "Hermione? Are you okay with this? It's okay if you're not, but you'd probably be considered a nutter for the rest of your life if you don't want your sight back." He laughed slightly, though tensely.

"No, no, I want to see again. Please, doctor, tell us what we need to do!" I directed my voice to the left, but Draco put his hands on either side of my head, turning me to face the doctor. "Thank-you, Draco. But as I was saying, I'd do almost anything to get my sight back, I swear!" My voice took on an edge of pleading as I looked at the invisible doctor that I was unable to see.

The doctor let out a creepy snort of a laugh, which cut off quickly, as if he was ashamed to be seen laughing. "Miss Granger, _you_ will not be going anywhere! You can't do _anything_ with your eyesight so bad!" Another snort from the horrible healer. "You will stay here and submit to the tests. You will need somebody _else_ to go find whoever cast the curse for you, preferably someone with the incentive to give you your sight back; somebody you know well. As soon as you choose who said person or persons will be, I will tell them what they must do."

His footsteps walked out of the ward, then, and I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "Okay. Draco, we have to talk to Dumbledore. Could you maybe owl him or something and ask him to come here?"

"Miss Granger, I've been here for a few minutes." Dumbledore's voice said with a smile in it. "What do you need to discuss, dear? _I_ personally agree with your decision to get your sight back, unlike that odd character who calls himself a healer."

"Professor, who should I choose? I need somebody with experience, and somebody with incentive, as the blatant doctor pointed out." An idea occurred to me suddenly, causing me to smack my head in annoyance at my stupidity. "Professor! Have you dealt with this kind of curse before? Would you be willing to help? I understand if you're busy, that's okay." My voice fell dramatically at the end, and I turned my eyes to my lap.

Dumbledore scoffed at this. "Of course I'd be willing to help! I've helped about four people trace this particular curse, before, though I have a feeling that yours is stemming from somewhere in Voldemort's ranks." My face lit up in a smile, and I held Draco's hand tighter.

"Miss Granger, may I suggest some companions for my trip?" Dumbledore asked sincerely, a kind tinge in his voice. "How do you feel about my taking Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Malfoy with me? I think they'd all put aside their differences, and that way, I can watch after them all, in case they try to do something...inadvisable."

I laughed for one of the first times since the dumb curse had set it, and nodded my head at his wisdom.

"Then, we must not delay! Let's go Mr. Malfoy, we need to go see the other boys!"

Draco laughed from my side, and I was suddenly pulled into a tight hug. I hugged my boyfriend back with all my might, as he whispered in my ear.

"Wow. I _must_ love you. I have to spend a while with Weasley and Potter for you!" We both laughed, though tears were pooling in my eyes. "I love you, 'Mione. I _will_ find whoever did this to you, okay? Stay safe."

He planted a light kiss on my forehead, and with that, left, taking my heart with him as I cried silently in his wake.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**(#1) From the song "The Cruel War," by Peter Paul and Mary. By the way, it's an old Civil War song that they just redid. Very well done. I suggest looking it up sometime.**

**(#2) I based this off of _my_ eye doctor, actually. His name is Dr. Goddard, and he's really nice...but his VOICE! It's really nasally, and SO hilarious! One time he told my dad, "Well, your eyesight is just very bad. Very, very, very, bad." BAHAHA! Oh Dr. Goddard! :D**

**I'd also like to inform you that my family is moving! So, that means that I probably won't get to update this story as much as "Oh the Woes of Boys." I apologize ahead of time!**

**Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**


	2. Oh Bother

**DISCLAIMER: J.K Rowling has Harry, I still need to find a guy of my own. :( :P :)**

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**R&R (Read and REVIEW) PLEASE! :D**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2**

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**Draco POV**

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Leaving Hermione was the second hardest thing I'd ever done.

Second hardest? Yes, second hardest.

Why? Well, the first hardest had to have been when I had to stand up to my father at the Ministry, because I'd been going against everything I'd ever been taught, though it certainly felt a lot better to do that than to leave Hermione.

I sighed, glancing out of the corner of my eye at Dumbledore as we walked through the halls of St. Mungo's. The old guy must've been about a hundred and twelve years old, but he was still up and moving, which shocked the heck out of me. If I lived to be a hundred and twelve, I wouldn't be wasting my time doing stuff for other people, though maybe that's just the kind of person I am; I would spend my days whining and complaining about my aching back, like my grandpa had before he finally hit the dust.

"Professor?" I asked hesitantly, looking up at his wrinkled face. Yep. He just had to be at least a hundred. "If you don't mind my asking, how-when are we getting Potter and Weasley?"

My mother had always taught me to be polite. Curse my illogically respectful side!

"We're going to get Mr. Potter straightaway, and then we'll make a short stop to visit an old friend of mine, Horace Slughorn, who I've been planning on seeing for a while. After that, I suppose, we'll head off to the Weasley residence." Dumbledore suddenly smiled, probably at the thought of the Weasleys. "Have you visited Mr. Fred's and Mr. George's shop yet? It is rather marvelous. I actually have some of their things with me, so don't accept any sweets."

I laughed at that one. The thought of kind, old Dumbledore giving somebody nosebleed nougat was totally bonkers! Glancing up at him, I realized that he hadn't even cracked a smile. That shut me up right away, and I straightened my posture, trying not to see the threat in the sentence.

We were now in the apparation zone of St. Mungo's, so Dumbledore clasped my arm and told me to hold tight. I was sudden sucked into a vortex of sorts, pitch darkness surrounding me, not being able to breathe.

My feet felt solid ground, my lungs inhaled the longed for air, and I realized I was in a muggle development. I was told to wait outside while Dumbledore got Harry, so I just sat on the curb, staring at the little park across the street. Hermione and I had gone on a swing set like that, once. And we'd walked in a park together. As was obvious, I missed her immensely. A part of me felt empty when I didn't know what she was doing, how she was, what she was thinking about. Let's just say, I couldn't wait to find the blasted person who'd cast the horrible spell on _my_ Hermione; then, some revenge would be in order.

Footsteps approached me, and I recognized the boy in front of me, though he'd grown a bit over the weeks I'd not seen him. I gave him a friendly smile, which he returned, though I made no move to touch him. I wasn't a touchy feel-y kind of guy. Physical affection had never been something I'd been accustomed to; I had no idea what to do around people I used to despise, but had gotten over it. Curiouser and curiouser.

We placed our hands on Dumbledore's arm, and we were once again pulled into blackness. When we came to, we were standing in front of a well-worn, broken looking house. The shutters were falling apart, a few windows seemed to be smashed, the mailbox out front was completely flattened by some large force. The headmaster strode over to the front door without another seconds hesitation.

I shared a knowing glance with Harry. The old man really had gone insane. And so had we, apparently, since we followed him to the mangled house.

The battered door opened with an audible creak, and we were allowed entrance into a severely damaged home. There was a picture of a happy looking family with two children, and another smaller picture on either side of it. I had a feeling that these were not the people we'd come to see.

There was a sound coming from the den that appeared to be the sound of something dripping. Dumbledore beckoned for us to follow him, and we did so reluctantly. There was a red substance pooling on the ceiling, then being pulled by the brutal force of gravity and dripping on the floor.

The ceiling was dripping blood.

I'd never admitted to anyone the fact that I had a fear of blood. Not my own, per say, but other peoples' blood. It horrified me to watch people bleed, especially if I couldn't do anything to help them. Though, it seemed like Dumbledore had no such aversion to the red liquid.

He dipped his finger in it and tasted it.

Yes. You heard me right. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledorebrought the blood to his tongue, and it made me consider the fact that he might've possibly been a vampire; it sure fit with the not-aging thing he had going for him.

"It's dragon blood," he explained as he went over to a plush armchair in the corner.

It seemed that once this particular armchair was poked with a wand, it morphed into a human; arms, legs, and everything. A pudgy man with a walrus-like mustache suddenly sat before us, pajama-clad, wand raised. He cracked a smile once he laid eyes on Dumbledore, leaping up and clasping hands in a friendly manner with the wrinkly old chap.

"Ah, Horace, so good to see you. Have you met Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, yet? Rather lovely set of boys, I can tell you that." Dumbledore said with an encouraging smile to Harry and me.

After we were all acquainted, Dumbledore abruptly excused himself to the bathroom. There was an awkward silence in his wake, though Slughorn soon filled that with chitchat about his previous teaching years at Hogwarts. His eyes lit up when he talked about it, and it made me wonder why he didn't just come back.

"Sir, there is a spot open, you know." I said after a story about Lily Evans. "If you love Hogwarts so much, why don't you just come?"

Harry nodded. "Wouldn't it be great to be a professor again, Sir? At the top of your game, teaching again. And, you'd be very safe from Death Eaters at Hogwarts! What have you to lose, Sir?"

He was good at this persuasion thing. _Very_ good. I wondered randomly if he was "The-Boy-Who-Lived" simply because he always talked his way out of death.

Slughorn looked ponderous at this, as Dumbledore strode into the room, carrying a knitting magazine. What? Was he gonna knit himself a wand cover? Good grief.

We left, though Slughorn accepted the offer stubbornly as we were on our way out.

Next stop, the Burrow.

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I'd never been in such a house before! It was like a slanting motel, for crying out loud! A homey motel, though a motel all the same.

The dining room we sat in was covered with moving pictures, and even a clock that told where everyone was, though the hands were all on "Mortal Peril" at the moment. I assumed it was because of Voldemort.

Mrs. Weasley bustled about, offering soup, bread, and basically anything else a human could ever want. We accepted the offer for soup, and three steaming bowls were set out on the table. It was awkward to admit, but Mrs. Weasley was really something. Something good, though, of course. She was kind, she cooked, and she carried a conversation well without needing it to be two-way.

"Molly, we're here on Miss Granger's behalf," Dumbledore said, cutting to the chase once the light talk was done with. "She has sent us here to collect Ronald. Miss Granger has been diagnosed with blindness, due to a rare dark curse." She gasped at that, though the Professor raised a hand to cut her off. "The curse can be treated, though the caster must be tracked down. I am taking Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter with me, and we wondered whether your son would like to come along. I assure you, they will be returned safe and sound by the end of the summer."

"Al-alright, Albus, I guess I'll allow Ron to go. Though, why don't you ask him tomorrow? Would you like to stay the night? It's rather late, and we could conjure up some beds in Fred and George's old room." She said hurriedly and hospitably.

Dumbledore accepted thankfully and we were all ushered up to bed. With a flick of his wand, the Headmaster made three comfortable looking beds appear out of nowhere. I had to learn how to do that, sometime.

The night was spent, though I couldn't sleep until the wee hours of the morning. My mind was weighed with worry; worry for Hermione, worry for my mother, worry for myself and what would happen when Ron awoke to find me in his house...

The other two were snoring away, Harry lightly and Dumbledore with an elder, heavy snore that sounded rather like a faint vacuum cleaner. Harry woke with a jolt at about one o'clock. His hand was pressed to his scar, and I raced over to his side worriedly.

"Harry? You okay? What happened?"

"Nothing. It was nothing." He spat out quickly, forcing a smile. "Just a nightmare. Sometimes, I have dreams about Voldemort, and they hurt my scar a bit. It's nothing, really. But, maybe we shouldn't tell Dumbledore, okay? It'll just overcomplicate things..."

I nodded, and he relaxed, sighing and turning into his pillow. A minute or so later, his light snore started up again.

With that settled, I eventually slept.

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_I was in the lobby of St. Mungo's waiting to find out what room Hermione was in. I smiled at the lady who occupied the front desk, and she randomly gave me a white rose. _

_Smiling my thanks, I started walking up the stairs to room number one-hundred-twelve on the third floor. The flower still clenched in my hand, I passed many portraits, while they whispered nastily at me._

_"Turn back, you mini Death Eater. You aren't wanted here. Turn back." _

_I was affronted as I reached Hermione's room, opening the door to see her and her parents. Her parents seemed to be crying, and she was still. Too still._

_I leapt to her side, though I knew I was too late. She was no longer breathing, and when I listened for her pulse, it was non existent. I dropped to the ground, dropping the rose as I went. The tears rolled down my cheeks as I wailed over her broken form, holding it in my arms. _

_After a while, I picked up the rose, noting that it seemed to be flecked with black now. I laid it on Hermione's still chest, wishing more than anything that she would breathe again. Abruptly, there was a loud thump-thumping noise. Hermione sat up, and I flung myself at her in relief. When I didn't get a reaction, I turned to look at her, my happy expression morphing into one of horror. _

_She had an evil smile on her face, her eyes open to reveal empty sockets. _

_"Why didn't you come in time, Drakipoo?" Her voice hung over me like a body in a hangman's noose. "You've failed me, Death Eater. Turn back. I don't want you here. I don't ever want you here again!"_

_At the end of her speech, she shrieked, a banshee like, eardrum shattering wail. I started to run away, but I heard dogged footsteps behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Hermione staggering after me blindly, though she was making rather good progress through the empty hallway, for a blind person, at least. I also realized that she was looking and sounding less and less like herself, and more like my Aunt Bellatrix._

_"You can't run from me, sweetie pie. I can't see you, but I can't hear you. Hahahaha!" _

_There was a storage closet to my left, and I opened the door hastily, shoving my mass inside. I heard the she-witch passing by, still walking drunkenly through the halls. _

_Inspecting the shelves for a weapon to use against my once-Hermione now-Aunt, I came across a row of jars. Each of them held a random body part, and the owner's name; tonsils, Brody Kinswell; kidney, Pansy Parkinson; liver, Harry Potter; finger, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The one that caught my eye was the one on the very end of the shelf, the one that had a set of brown eyes inside._

_No! It couldn't be!_

_"Hermione Granger," the side of the bottle read. _

_The eyes blinked at me as I heard one last witchy cackle. "Just you wait! I'll get you! Hahahahahahahaha!"_

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My eyes snapped open as I woke from that horrid dream. Looking at my watch, I realized I'd only slept for about an hour.

Face covered in a sheen of sweat, I groped around for my wand. I cast a quick aguamenti spell into the empty water basin to wash my face with.

With that done, I just laid in my bed, shaking.

I had to find whoever casted the curse. I could never let anything like that happen to Hermione.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Thank-you for reading, dearies! Please review! :D**

**By the way, I'd like to inform you that I've also started up another small, five-ish chapter book called "Bubbles, Toils, and Troubles," if you're interested.**

**I would really appreciate some reviews! Please, tell me what you think! I could use some more feedback!**

** Thanks so much!**

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**


	3. Man Eating Plants

**Chapter 3**

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**Draco POV**

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I awoke the next day with a wrinkled finger lightly prodding my arm.

"Mr. Malfoy? Time to get up, Mr. Malfoy. We have to set out in no less than an hour if we wish to get started today."

Ah, Dumbledore had found my weakness.

I bolted up immediately, knowing that I needed to get a move on if we were going to get any closer to saving Hermione. The Headmaster walked away with a small smile, and I could almost see the gears and springs working their ways in his head. He'd obviously found a foolproof way to rouse me, and would probably be using this technique for the remainder of our travel.

Time seemed to mean less and less, the farther I got away from Hermione, and it felt as though I was dressed and in the Weasleys' bustling kitchen in no less than a few minutes, though its only guests were Harry, Dumbledore, me, and Mrs. Weasley. I was served a large portion of cheery yellow scrambled eggs, crunchy bacon, buttered toast, and a steaming mug of tea. I already began to wish that my mother was as industrious as Mrs. Weasley, though I would never say so aloud.

It wasn't until after I finished that I noticed the fact that Ronald had been there the whole time. I inwardly cursed myself to the deepest pit of Calcutta; being unobservant was something as good as death when you were being hunted by mangy Death Eaters, who wouldn't stop until you had been brutally murdered. Weasley looked the same as always, though, not like he was going to brutally murder me anytime soon; his eyes held that always present bit of disgust, and his face turned a bit red, nothing that should've worried me.

The weird thing was, I really _was_ worried.

Not worried, really, but more annoyed and aggravated. He was one of Hermione's best friends, and I felt as though I should feel more accepting towards him, even if it were just for Hermione. I personally didn't hold anything against him, though he seemed to be my polar opposite on that minor detail. The steady glare that was being thrown from the other side of the table made me keep my eyes down, feeling guilty, even though I'd done nothing.

"Mr. Weasley, do stop glaring at Mr. Malfoy, will you?" Dumbledore asked the redhead, who turned to gape at the old man in astonishment.

"But-but he-"

"No buts, Mr. Weasley. The four of us will need to be working together, and for that to happen, you must be able to get along, even if it's just for the time being. If not for yourself, at least do it for Miss Granger, alright?"

Ron sighed. "Yeah, fine, whatever..."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore beamed. "Now, about the curse. I would like to give the three of you some more information about it, so listen carefully.

"This curse is very dangerous, let me make that extremely clear. If we do not succeed, Miss Granger will most definitely lose her sight, and has about a fifty percent chance of survival." A chorus of gulps could be heard around the table. "It was invented by an ancient Grecian by the name of Perseus, who was almost the equivalent of Voledmort to the ancient Greeks." Ron and I shuddered at the name, and Dumbledore sighed at us. "Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself. Anyway, the incantation is 'nullamqu,' which means 'no sight' in Latin. Perseus became one of Voldemort's heroes, so to speak, and to this day, the Dark Lord is still using a select few of his spells..."

The old wizard paused to drink a bit of water. "Anyway, about the curse, Miss Granger needs to be saved very soon. In some reports from various wizard hospitals, the spell tended to worsen after a month exactly. Miss Granger was put under the spell two days ago, so that means we have twenty-nine days to find the counter curse before things go from bad to worse..."

"Sir," I said slowly and uncertainly. "What-what happens if the curse worsens?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention. Well, in a month's time, the curse will not only make Miss Granger see nothing but black, but she will begin to see horrific 'visions,' so to speak. That part of the curse usually drives people mad, as well as takes away their sight. I'm quite sure that none of you wish this to happen to Miss Granger, so we will need to be 'hitting the road,' as the muggles would say."

The three of us immediately jumped out of our chairs, all ungracefully knocking our seats over. The professor shook his head and smiled, then gestured us out into the garden as we bid Mrs. Weasley goodbye.

I'd never seen such a garden before; Malfoy Manor's gardens had all been pristinely planted and tenderly tended. The flower beds here were overflowing with weeds and garden gnomes, which seemed to go well with the bizarre yet strangely peaceful house I'd just walked out of. I felt a small bite on my ankle, and bent down to see a rouge gnome that had decided to bite me. I picked the little guy up by the back of his neck and hurled him over the Weasleys' fence with my Quidditch strengthened arms.

We were instructed to hold hands while we apparated, and we complied, some very reluctantly, though. Professor Dumbledore, spur-of-the-moment, it seemed, decided to give us a very weird warning.

"Stay away from the flowers, by the way, and head straight inside."

I felt that familiar, uncomfortable tug as we were whisked away from the Burrow, and I randomly wondered if I would ever see it again...

My feet hit soft grass, and I turned to see what looked like a muggle state hall building, but in the middle of an abandoned, though prospering, forest. The area around the large building was cleared of trees, and random flowers with blossoms the size of my head sprouted from the grass.

Unknown to me, there was a plant just to my left, that seemed to be eyeing me hungrily. A leaf batted my shoulder playfully, and I whirled around just in time to see the inside of the ravenous flower's mouth as it tried to eat me.

"Help me!" I screamed, though the flower muffled my pleas and morphed them into, "Helm meep!"

After what seemed to be the longest struggle of my life, my three traveling buddies got the God forsaken beast off of me. Harry, Ron, and I sprinted off to the white building with granite columns as Dumbledore lazily blasted the flowers into chunks with simple waves of his wand. He made magic look so easy all the time...

I sat down on the hard, stone floor, breathing deeply as I tried to clean the bud's slobber off of my head. It wasn't slobber, exactly, and had more the consistency of marmalade, but it was still disgusting.

Laughter suddenly erupted from Ron, and I felt the need to join in. Harry looked at us weirdly, but then, what the hey, he joined us as well. Our chorus of laughter was heard by Dumbledore, who threw us a smile as he climbed up the marble staircase towards us.

"Well boys, I can see you're on friendlier terms, but if you would, I would like to go inside now, please, since the plants seem to get more vicious at night, and it's getting darker and darker-"

"Let's go!" We yelled, rushing through the grand entrance of the...library?

Shelves upon shelves of books filled almost every available part of the room, save for the small research area over to the left. As far as the eye could see; books, books, and more books!

I felt a pang of loneliness as I looked around, thinking about how much Hermione would've loved it here. I'd have to take her back sometime...

"Welcome to the Bibliotheca Omnia," Dumbledore said, a nerdy gleam in his eye as he took in the books. "In other words, welcome to the Library of Everything."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**HI! **

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long! The move was stupendously CRAZY, and I only just settled down!**

**But not to fear, I'll try to update once every day or every other day from now on!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Pretty please with Draco on top! Ohhh! Now you can't refuse! :P**

**Thanks for reading! :D**

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**

**PS: I also have another story called "Bubbles, Toils, and Troubles." Please check it out sometime! :D**


	4. Alma Almighty

**Disclaimer: Phillip Parks, Doctor Goddard, Alma, Damion Matuse, and Eliana De Baros are mine. If you would like to use any of them, feel free to ask! Everything else is JK Rowling's, though!**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would LOVE it if you would read and review this chapter! I've been experimenting a bit with the characters and the plot, and I would appreciate reviews a TON!**

**Also, Fanfiction isn't working well again, and it won't let me see my hit/viewer amounts! Reviews would really encourage me! And remember, I accept criticism!**

**Enjoy! :D**

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**Chapter 4**

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**Hermione POV**

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The tubes that had been shoved up my nose forced the oxygen into my dying lungs, causing them to inhale and exhale mechanically.

My rapidly deteriorating health had boggled the minds of every healer that had checked on me. Though I felt very weak, couldn't see, and couldn't breathe in a solo fashion, what aggravated me the most is how they spoke about me as though I was invisible! The curse gone haywire hadn't taken away my sense of hearing...yet...

I once again heard the barely muted voices of Doctor Goddard -the nasally one- and his assistant, Phillip Parks.

'Just off to my left, they're having a conversation about me! For Merlin's sakes! Didn't their mothers ever teach them anything about manners?'

"It's completely irrational, Goddard!" The frazzled assistant exclaimed.

Phillip was immediately shushed, and the conversation headed elsewhere. I wouldn't have known where they were, had their clothes not been so swish-y, and if Goddard hadn't sneezed on the way there.

By straining my ears, I was able to catch a few snippets of their theorizing and flat-out gossiping. All of the random phrases that were audible were also bad news.

"Never happened on record!"

A moment's silence while they checked their tone of voices.

Sudden inspiration hit me, and I grabbed my wand that oh-so-convieniently was located on my bedside table. I cast a quick "audiohealius" spell -a handy charm that amplified the hearing of the caster immensely and immediately. I could hear _everything_ then; the drip of my IV into my blood system, a faint conversation going on in the room behind me, a baby crying softly in the distance. Chiefly, I could hear my healers speaking.

"Dumbledore has yet to fail us on cases such as these, Goddard, but as they say, 'There's a first time for everything.' How do we know he can find the remedy?"

"Trust me, Phillip, Dumbledore will do it! Though, I'm afraid for the boys he took with him. Yes, young love is beautiful and compelling, but in this case, it might've compelled young er, what was his name? Malfoy! Yes, it might've compelled Malfoy to his death! As well as the other two they took, though I think that the Boy-Who-Lived will be safe. I mean, he did survive He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby. But the other two? A Weasley and a Malfoy? They'll probably end up killing each _other_! Everyone says Dumbledore is a little off his rocker, but I have a right to believe he never had a rocker! The man is absolutely bonkers!"

By that point, both men were laughing hysterically. Must've been either the lack of sleep, or just from their inner, male enjoyment of death, I have no idea. The only thing I was aware of was that Draco, Ron, and Harry had just embarked on a journey far too advanced for any of them. I couldn't lose all of them at the same time! I never wanted to lose any of them!

The tears were streaming down my face as I looked blindly around the room, hoping that they would suddenly burst through the door, brandishing the cure and without a scratch.

After having been away from Draco for so long -okay, two days...anyway, my lovesick heart just couldn't take it!

_What is he doing? Where did they go? How're things going with him and Ron? Ugh!_ I thought miserably, wishing more than anything that they could just appear safe and sound._ Whoever cursed me with this bloody spell is going to owe me so much! Why would somebody wish this fate on another human? How could they? I would like to see the evil spawn of Satan who cursed me; how would they like it? Especially when they're so close to death! Oh Draco, hurry! _I prayed inwardly, hoping that by a miracle he could hear me.

Wow. Draco this, Draco that. If that boy didn't hurry up, I would've asked one of the healers to change their name so I could at least talk to a Draco!

_Draco, Draco, Draco...Draco..._

With him on my mind, my weary, lead-lidded eyes drifted shut, unveiling a dream land where everything was right again.

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**Draco POV**

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I woke up with a large headache resting just above my left eye. Turning, I realized that I'd fallen asleep in the Library of Everything. The past day's events hit me, and I nearly fell off the rickety stool I was propped upon.

Looking at the table in front of me, I realized I'd left a slight drool mark on a large, ancient looking volume. I tried to wipe it off, but the attempt was feeble and pointless. As I took out my wand, I felt a hand grasp my hand before I could cast a "scourgify" spell.

The mysterious person moved into my line of vision, and I held back my gasp. The woman in front of me could've been described as an angel; blond hair, blue eyes, a heart stopping smile. She was even wearing white!

"Bloody he-heaven!" I exclaimed, putting a twist on the usual phrase so that the mystical being wouldn't throw me to the devil. "Are-are you an angel?"

She nodded, smiling even wider. "You are a smart man, Draco Malfoy. Tell me, brave one, what do you seek in the Bibliothecia Omnia?"

"Hermione," my mouth exclaimed, seemingly randomly. "I mean, I need a cure for my girlfriend, Hermione Granger. She was cursed by an evil wizard. We don't know who did it, but we need to find whoever did immediately, because we only have about a month before she loses her sight permanently. Oh, you have to help me, please! I can't lose her!"

Moving closer, the outer realm being wiped a tear from my cheek that I hadn't remembered crying.

"Your intentions are good, Draco Malfoy, so I will help you. But first, I must get your saliva off of this book. It's over two-hundred years old, you know." The angel said kindly, waving her hand over the book and making the spot disappear.

I followed the angel through the shelves, curious and wary at the same time. This place reminded me oh so much of the restricted section at Hogwarts, where I had nothing but bad memories.

"You do not need to be afraid, Draco Malfoy. The Bibliotheca Omnia is not a bad place. It is simply a stop in an adventurer's journey, one where much information can be gained."

"Angel, do you have a name?" I asked, wanting to be able to refer to her as something other than "angel."

"My name is Alma, which means 'kind one.' Draco Malfoy, do be careful to avoid my sister Velus, as her name means 'old one,' and she enjoys to taunt young humans such as yourself. Before you ask, no, she doesn't look old, but she's been around for over a thousand years, whereas I'm only going on my four-hundred-fifty-third year."

"Only? Wow. You don't look a day over eighteen, if I do say so myself."

If my father had taught me anything, it was to treat ladies well. Though Alma could hardly count as a lady, I decided to be nice anyway.

"Thank you, Draco Malfoy. You know, even though our records say otherwise occasionally, you are most kind, Draco Malfoy."

"Records?" I asked, befuddled. "You have records on me?"

"Not just you. We have records on everyone. Would you like me to show you?"

I nodded, wondering what the blazes Alma could mean.

She lead me over to a large circular room that was simply decorated; a large table, a few chairs, and twenty-six large books on a wooden shelf. I sat down while Alma took down a volume that simply read, "M." She blew a little dust off of it, and opened the book near the beginning.

"Marsh, Matkirk, ah, here it is, Malfoy, Draco. Here, Draco Malfoy, come see."

As I looked over her shoulder, I realized that not only did this book give information on us, it listed basically anything anyone would want to know; birth, favorite things, hobbies, grades, and so on and so forth.

_Father is a Death Eater. Had a hard time deciding which side to follow, Light or Dark. Hermione Jean Granger persuaded him to join the Light side, and is currently his girlfriend. For more information on Hermione Granger, please visit the G volume._

"Wow, Alma, could I please see Hermione's volume? Pretty please, Alma?" I begged, giving her a pouty face.

She laughed and switched out the books.

"Draco Malfoy, you must remember that you can only see Hermione Granger's information if she wants you to. If she trusts you, you will see it, intellegere?"

"Yes, I understand."

_Hermione Jean Granger is currently stricken by a curse called the 'No Sight' curse. The curse has taken a rough turn, as it only has on two other occasions (see Damion Matuse and Eliana De Baros for more information). Her boyfriend, Draco Lucius Malfoy is currently searching for a remedy with Albus Perceval Brian Wulfric Dumbledore, Harry James Potter, and Ronald Bilius Weasley. Her healers are boggled, and estimate that the search party has less than two weeks before things take a turn for the worst. _

_"NO! No, no, no, no, no! Alma, this CAN'T be happening! Help me! Can I see the other two accounts, please? I need to!" Alma looked slightly discouraged, so I grabbed her hand and out-right begged. "Alma, please, I beg you. I can't let Hermione face anything worse. I need to know what's happening so I can save her. Please, Alma, please?" _

_...Eliana De Baros was cursed by Bruno Marinda on May fourth, 1907. The amount of hatred in the curse caused it to react, and Eliana died within three weeks of being diagnosed. _

_...Damion Matuse died within two and a half weeks of being cursed, though it was believed that the process was sped up due to the fact that only two of his loved ones stayed with him durning his hospitalization period._

"Alma, I need to find the others and leave right away. Could you help me find them, please?"

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As we strode out of the Library of Everything, I reiterated everything the books had said.

Dumbledore's face was grave until I finished with Damion Matuse's story.

"Oh great gillyweed! How could I have forgotten? Oh course! Hermione needs more loved ones around her to give us more time!" Dumbledore glanced at the group, finally deciding on who to send back. "Harry, Ronald, I'm sorry, but you will need to head back and stay with Miss Granger. Before you protest, remember that you're saving her life as much as Draco or I am, alright?" He produced a button from his pocket and tapped it with his wand. "Take this portkey, and whatever you do, stay at St. Mungo's. Tell the healers everything Draco has said, and try to find as many loved ones as possible, alright?"

They nodded. Before the portkey took off, they each clapped me on the back and wished us luck. Before I had time to react, they were gone, jerked to St. Mungo's by the portkey.

"Mr. Malfoy, I know where we must go. Grab hold of my arm, and hold tight."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Hi there! Thank you so much for your patience with me! **

**I've gotten some inspiration back, so I'll be updating more frequently! **

**Please REVIEW! I would REALLY love to know how you felt with Alma and that whole Bibliotheca Omnia thing!**

**Thanks so much for everything!**

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**


	5. I'm Earning my Doctorate

**Chapter 5**

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**Harry POV**

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The whitewashed walls of St. Mungo's had never felt so lifeless as Ron and I practically ran through the sterilized halls.

"Which room was she in again, Harry?" My flustered friend asked as he scanned each ward, making faces as he saw some of the least fortunate patients. "Blimey! I think that man back there had an extra head!"

"Focus, Ron, focus!" I yelled, exasperated. "Um…room three hundred and two! Yeah, that's it! It should be right up…there! There it is! Come on, Ron, Hermione needs us!"

When we reached the door, it was swung open by a sullen, somber healer with a grim expression. He looked young, but the stress of working at St. Mungo's had taken its toll on him. He had bruise-like, shadowed bags under his eyes, wrinkled creased on his forehead, and a set of lifeless brown eyes. I could only think that something horrible could've caused this man to look so down, so I rushed into the ward, ignoring the man's muted words of protest.

The only thing I cared about was the still form that was lying on the hospital bed; the frail form of one of my best friends.

A broken rhythm coming from a heart monitoring machine was the my only assurance that Hermione was still alive…

"She's gone into a coma, you know."

The nasally, detached sounding voice came from behind me. The head healer walked up to the bed, looking down on Hermione with sad eyes. He stood about six-foot-four, with grayed hair and a worn set of eyeglasses resting on his hooked nose. The man appeared to be uncaring, but it was obvious that he had grown fond of Hermione during her short stay at the hospital. The thought of being a healer suddenly jumped out at me, and I processed the situation again. What would it feel like to be a wizard that was assigned to heal people, but that seemed impossible? What if magic didn't cover an illness that was just too strong?

The thought of letting others down strode through my thoughts again, as it did frequently. How could I defeat Voldemort if I couldn't save Hermione from a stupid spell?

Tears rolled down my face, unauthorized. I was careful to avoid the many beeping machines that surrounded the rickety hospital bed as I took hold of Hermione's chilled hand. Ron went over to her other side, mirroring me as he sat next to her, nearly sobbing.

Suddenly, the door flew open again. A light, muffled wailing came from the direction of the freshly opened entrance. I turned my reddened, irritated eyes to the uncalled for visitors, feeling guilty when I realized that they just so happened to be the Grangers.

Mrs. Granger was sinking to the floor in shock and horror, her face the epitome of heartbreak.

Without thinking, I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, trying to convey all my empathy into the one embrace.

"Oh H-Harry, you're such a sweet boy!" Mrs. Granger sobbed woefully into my shoulder. "I can see wh-why Her-Her-Her-HERMIONE!"

She broke into uncontrollable sobs and I awkwardly tried to calm her by offering a simple pat on the back. Her husband stepped in, then, leading her out into the hall so they could talk. I sighed, retiring to a small wooden chair by Hermione's side, putting my head in my hands.

_I'm an idiot. I'm a failure. Why can't I do anything right? _I cursed myself innerly._ Even Draco Malfoy is more qualified to help Hermione than I am! How will I kill Voldemort without Hermione? She's always been the "brains of the operation;" Ron and I are total idiots compared to her! Stinking "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Sicking his followers on 'Mione like that! Voldie-shmouldie! Voldemort, Voldiesnort, Voldiefart, Moldywart, VOLDEMORT! Why can't he just die of organ failure or something? He's already like eighty-something years old! Gahhh! Why couldn't somebody else have been "The Chosen One?" Bloody Trelawny, bloody prophecy! _

A light tug on my right pant leg broke me out of my inner ranting, and I turned to see a mini-Hermione standing in front of me. She had big brown eyes, bushy hair -though it happened to be blond-, and a worried little wrinkle in between her eyebrows, just like the mark Hermione got when she was frustrated or confused.

"Mister?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why is my sister on the bed, sir? Is she sleeping?"

Compassion kicked in then, and I lifted the little girl on my lap, as Ron watched on. "Hi there, what's your name, little missy?"

"I'm Mallory, mister, Mallory Granger. I'm five years old, and I hope I grow up to be just like 'Mione! Hermione is my older sister, sir. I don't see her very much, but I talk to her over the telephone all least once a week! I love my sister so much! Please say she'll be okay?"

My heart nearly broke, looking at Hermione's little sister. I faintly recalled meeting her once before, though it had been just a very brief introduction before Hermione, Ron, and I hopped on the _Hogwart's Express_. My sympathy went out the the little girl, and I hugged her a bit, rubbing her back.

"Nice to meet you, Mallory, though I wish it were under different circumstances. I'm Harry-Harry Potter, that is, and-"

"Harry Potter? You're the Harry Potter 'Mione always tells me about! It's a pleasure to meet you, sir! My sister told me all about you! Did you really fight off all those bad monsters, Harry Potter?"

I chuckled weakly at this. "Yeah, I guess I did, but your sister helped me out every time. Without her, I would probably be dead right now! She's a real genius, she is. You're lucky to have a sister like her, Mallory, you're so lucky to have her..."

_But for how long?_ I asked myself, sighing hugely.

"Yes, I'm very lucky to have her, Mr. Harry, but what's wrong with her, sir?" She persisted.

Sighing, I pulled a face.

_There's no getting anything past this one, either._ I thought wryly.

"Well, your sister isn't feeling very well," I stated blatantly as the five-year-old rolled her eyes. "A bad person did a very naughty thing to her, so a man named Dumbledore and Hermione's boyfriend-"

"Draco! I've heard about him! I haven't met him, because I was visiting my aunt earlier this summer, but 'Mione tells me he's amazing!" She exclaimed exuberantly.

"Yeah, Draco and Hermione love each other..." I sighed, hoping that Malfoy would pull through soon. "He and Dumbledore need to find the anecdote for her soon, though, so she'll be fully back to normal. But don't worry," I caught her downcast expression, "I'm very sure he'll be back soon! Draco loves Hermione so much, he would do anything for her! He's on a rather dangerous mission, right now, just so he can save her! You'll have to meet him very soon, Mallory; you'll love him almost as much as your sister..."

The Grangers walked back through the door, Mr. Granger scooping up Mallory and striding over to Hermione's bedside. Ron respectfully moved back, and I lead him out into the hall, wanting to give the family some privacy.

Ward after ward, I walked on, not answering Ron's questions until we reached the "permanent stay" ward. The bored looking man at the doorway asked who we wanted to see.

"Ron and I would like to visit Frank and Alice Longbottom, sir."

I heard a barely stifled gasp coming from Ron. I turned around and made a face at him as if to say, "smooth, real smooth."

The entrance guard let us in the ward and gestured to the curtained beds on the right side. I composed myself and lead Ron through the curtains, catching sight of the wasting away remnants of the Longbottoms. Neville's father was sleeping, so I averted my gaze to his wife.

Alice Longbottom turned to me, and I looked straight at her, deciding at once to carry out my plan, no matter how tedious it was.

"Hello Mrs. Longbottom, I'm Harry Potter. My parents are James and Lily Potter. I heard that you went to Hogwarts with them, that's great! They really loved you, you know; they really loved being your friend. Speaking of friends, this guy sitting next to me is Ronald Weasley. His parents are Molly and Arthur Weasley. They were your friends from the Order of the Phoenix, remember? You were working with Albus Dumbledore to defeat Voldemort, who is also known as Tom Riddle. You and your husband, Frank Longbottom, had a son that you named Neville. Neville Longbottom goes to school with Ronald Weasley and I, Harry Potter. Do you understand, Mrs. Longbottom?"

She blinked once, then her eyes became unfocused once more as she stared off into space.

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"What the bloody-" Ron began, but I cut him off before he could ask.

"I'm going to help cure the Longbottoms. People say that it's a lost cause, but I know there's still a person deep inside them. Neville shouldn't have to live without his parents, and, after seeing all that these healers go through, I've decided to lend them a helping hand. We're going to help cure as many people as possible, okay Ron?"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Thanks so much for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!**

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**By the way, I have a serious question to ask. Can anybody offer some guy advice?**

**There's this guy that goes to my school (let's call him Fred)... **

**So, I really like "Fred," and sometimes he flirts with me, which makes me really excited! I've never really been one for flirting, because I kind of fail at it. **

**"Fred" flirts a little with me, but then he goes off and talks to this girl he used to like, and they get all "chummy." **

**What should I do? Does anybody have any advice?**

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**Wow, that was totally random and uncalled for, but I'd really appreciate it if you could help me out with my guy problems. **

**You can either review or just email me if you have a solution. I'll love you forever if you could lend me some advice! :D**

**Please review!**

**Love you lots (but not as much as "Fred" :P),**

**Little Miss English Nerd *insert corny heart here* :)**


	6. Dumbledore's Love Life

**Disclaimer: **

**Roses are red, **

**Violets are blue, **

**I don't own Harry Potter, **

**And unless you're JK Rowling, **

**Neither do you!

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**Chapter 6

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**Draco

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I had never been to Romania before, which seemed to surprise Dumbledore greatly when I offered this bit of information.

The great expanse of forest that surrounded us gave me quite the heebie jeebies, so to speak, the birds that flitted among the treetops registering in my mind warily. Any slight movement could be the movement of the man who had cursed Hermione, and unless I wished the same fate upon myself, I would have to be guarded and paranoid.

Dumbledore was humming a happy little ditty under his breath, waving his "lumos-ed" wand around aimlessly. It was odd, but then the thought occurred to me that maybe the old man just wanted to have his wand at the ready.

I gulped, pulling my wand out from my robes as well.

After about four hours of traipsing through the dense woods, I began to see similarities between this place and the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. The thought brought others of its kind, and I was soon lost in a memory montage from a certain fateful day; Hermione's clear voice ringing through the trees... The way her song seemed to call to me... How cute she'd looked when I'd finally cut through the last of the thick underbelly of the forest... When we'd shared some of our deepest secrets... The way her lips had felt against mine when I finally gave in and kissed her...

With a pang of sadness fresh in my gut, I sighed, halting Dumbledore's merry tune.

"Mr. Malfoy, is everything alright? What are you thinking about, boy?"

Another sigh escaped through my teeth as I replied. "I was just thinking about Hermione, sir. Being apart from the girl you love is so hard..." A random thought popped into my head, and I decided to voice it aloud. "Say, sir, have you ever been in love?"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I have indeed. Why don't you have a seat on that boulder, and I'll tell you about it?"

After we were both seated somewhat comfortably on the hard rock, the professor began his story.

"Well, when I was eleven, I attended Hogwarts just like every other young British wizard. I soon became the top of every class, though with the good came the bad... Some of the girls seemed to think I was a...what was the word they used, again? Ah yes, they thought I was a 'nerdy dweeb,' to be exact. As you may imagine, that put quite a damper on my love life. Actually, let me rephrase that; that put quite a damper on my love life until _sixth year. _

"When I turned sixteen and began my sixth year, a new girl transferred from Beauxbatons. She wasn't quite as much of a super model as most French girls were known to be, though that didn't hinder nearly half the boys at Hogwarts to go chasing after her. Her name was Alisanne, though she liked to be called Alice. She was sorted into Gryffindor, which excited all of the older boys and created a frenzy, you could say. Much to my good fortune, I had been assigned by my head-of-house to show her around. We became good friends, and I soon learned many things about her; she had a large family, she got outstandings in nearly every class, and that she didn't mind my smartness at all.

"With that said, it became evident soon enough that we were 'falling for each other,' as people nowadays say. It wasn't until seventh year that I actually plucked up the courage and asked her to be my girlfriend, but she still accepted my offer happily and readily..."

He trailed off for a moment, seeming to relive his wonderful experiences with Alice by the glazed coating over his eyes.

"When I was eighteen, my friend Gellert Grindelwald-"

"You were friends with-" I was cut off by the weary expression on the man's face. "Sorry, continue, sir..."

"My friend, Gellert Grindelwald, who I'd known since boyhood, and I planned to take a trip around the world to find a few objects of power. These objects were said to be but a myth, but Gellert and I decided to prove it ourselves. Alice wanted to come along with us, so we eventually let her. After about a month or so of traveling, I got word that my mother had passed away. I had to return home to care for my siblings, though after a few, erm...incidents, Gellert decided to return to the mission alone."

He sat there in silence for a moment, then sighed and continued.

"Alice got tired of being cooped up at my home with me, and she decided that she wanted to go see the world with Gellert. I warned her that if she went, she would be at a high risk due to some recent, evil-seeming developments in Grindelwald. She didn't listen, however, and she went off with him. She came back after about two years and told me that she was betrothed to Grindelwald and pregnant with his child. I wished her the best, and never saw her again. Ever since, I've basically given up on the whole institution of women..." **(#1)**

He seemed to catch my distraught face, quickly reiterating his last sentence. "Not that you have any reason to worry, Mr. Malfoy! Miss Granger is wonderful, and I'm sure she would never fall for another of your friends, especially if Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle are still on that list..."

I omitted a shocked laugh; had Dumbledore just insulted some of his students?

_This is the weirdest thing ever! Dumbledore? I didn't think the old coot had it in him! I guess I was wrong for once-_

Dumbledore's gaze interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see the headmaster holding a crinkled finger up to his cracked lips. With his blackened hand, he gestured ahead of us.

A small stone cottage sat in front of me, though it wasn't cheery looking, like that story about the Flow White or whatever. No good-natured little men were living here, that was evident. Why was it so evident?

Well, the first thing that greeted us was a small cemetery.

Yikes.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**(#1) Yes, the statement "I've basically given up on the institution of women" can be taken either way. I personally hope he's not "curved/not straight," and that he's just so scarred from past events that he has never tried to find love again...though I'm not going with or against anything... :P**

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**HI! Sorry for not updating for a while! My computers have been really screwed up lately! :(**

**Anywhoo, ooh! What'll happen next? Will this be the home of Hermione's alleged curser? :O**

**PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**


	7. Threats and a Yearly Visitation

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE THAT YOU PROBABLY SHOULD READ, UNLESS YOU WANT A BAD ENDING:

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**

**Hello! Sorry for not updating, but I've had a TON of schoolwork, and I was actually grounded for about a week, so it all adds up, doesn't it? :P**

**Whoa. What a lame excuse! Anywhoo, I have a little proposition/threat for you:**

**I have an idea of the way this story should end, but I assure you, you probably won't like it, as it's not a very happy ending! The thing is, I can't really think of any other endings, so unless people review and tell me some ideas, that's the ending I'll be going with!**

**SO REVIEW, OR THE ENDING IS SAD, okay? :)**

**K, thanks! Please R&R!**

**ENJOYYY! :D**

**

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**

**DISCLAIMER: Well I walked around the corner and I walked around the block, and I walked right in to a potions shop.**

**And I picked up some gillyweed and bit off a bit, and I handed the lady a Weasley's type tip.**

**Well, she looked at the money, and she looked at me, and she said,**

**"This money's no good you see. Unless you're JK Rowling, you don't have the rights. But you obviously aren't, and you have wizard lice."**

**"Thanks for the gillyweed?"**

**"Go die!"**

**

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**Chapter 7**

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**Harry POV**

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"Mrs. Longbottom, please. Respond. Talk. Do anything!" I shouted, banging my angered fists against my innocent knees.

The woman just looked on dazedly. It'd been another week since I'd been trying to help her and her husband, and nothing had been working! My heart broke again and again; anytime I saw this deranged couple lying in their squeaky hospital beds, I was reminded of my parents. Would this have been their fate if they hadn't been killed by Voldemort? Would the Longbottoms be the ones rotting away in some unknown cemetery?

My worries became utter doubts, while doubts became plain disbelieve, and disbelief brought with it a lack of hope.

How could Dumbledore have let this happen? Wasn't he the orchestrator of the Order? Did he warn them all of the tremendous risks they were taking, or did they just walk into imminent death blindly?

My pondering was interrupted when the ward's doors bursted open, flinging against the walls and leaving unfortunate marks on the marble surfaces. A familiar figure came strutting through, and it took me a moment to react.

"Neville? Oh, hi Neville! How are you? Are you-oh..." My gaze met his, and I realized that he was gazing pointedly at his parents. "Oh, you're wondering why I'm here? Well, I thought that maybe I could help them remember a few things, because I can't do anything for 'Mione and-"

"Hermione's hurt?" There was the old, un-angered, Neville. "Oh wow, I'm so sorry, Harry! What happened?"

I quickly explained the predicament, and then decided to kill two birds with one stone. When I told Neville that I was only here to help his parents, he nodded solemnly, gazing at the floor as though it was the coolest thing since Justin Bieber (**A/N: Haha, don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan! I just couldn't think of anyone else!**). He quickly smiled again, though, and then weakly chuckled.

"I was in such a hurry because Gran got an owl that a young man was repeatedly visiting my parents, and we got a little worried, you know? But if it's just you, Harry, you can keep visiting..." He trailed off for a moment, but when his voice returned, it seemed rather gruff. "But Harry, I need to tell you that we've already tried, so don't feel upset if you can't get through to them, alright?"

While I nodded, he clasped me on the shoulder and then exited through the banged up doors in a much calmer fashion than he entered them. I continued to talk to the Longbottoms, though it seemed to have no affect on them. My weariness and sorrow finally came through as I put my head in my hands and began to cry. I know it wasn't manly, but even guys have to cry sometimes, right? I've even heard people saying that "only the manliest of men aren't afraid to cry."

Something lightly touched my head, and I lifted my eyes from the lifelines etched across my palms. I let out a shocked gasp as I realized that Mrs. Longbottom was looking worriedly at me. No, not just _Mrs._ Longbottom, but Mrs. _Alice_ Longbottom, the one who had been proclaimed "untreatable."

"M-Mrs. Longbottom?" I questioned, not sure whether I was delusional from lack of sleep, or if this was reality.

A frail, unused voice answered me unsurely. "Y-yes, Harry?"

Before I knew it, I was whooping for joy while running around the ward. "SHE KNOWS MY NAME! SHE SAID MY NAME! DID YOU HEAR THAT? SHE _SAID MY NAME_! WOO HOO! YEAH!"

"H-Harry? Could-could you be a little more qu-quiet?" The woman asked timidly, a shaky hand combing lightly through her flimsy grayed hair.

I immediately got down from the unoccupied hospital bed I had been whooping on, and obediently walked over to her bed. "Sorry, Mrs. Longbottom, it won't happen again."

Mr. Longbottom woke up from his slumber and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his eyes to block out the sunshine beaming in through the windows. A confused Alice raised her eyebrows at me, while pointing at the man.

"This is your husband, Frank Longbottom. You remember him, don't you?"

She nodded her head slightly, though her expression was still unsure.

"Don't worry, I'll help you remember again, okay?"

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**Lily and James POV**

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"Oh, look at our little boy! He's grown so fast! I'm s-s-so proud of him!" A sniffling Lily exclaimed, patting James on the arm and looking through the windows of St. Mungo's "mental" ward.

James nodded, grinning his white grin proudly. "He sure is something great, isn't he?"

"I miss him so much, James, I really d-do..." She said shakily, a frown appearing on her face.

"Lily, you know we can't go back in time. It was meant to be this way, and let's just be grateful that we're allowed to look in on him sometimes, okay? We'll see him again soon enough, alright?"

"JAMES! LILY! C'mere!" Yelled a happy ,yet ghostly, Sirius. "You've gotta see what those Wealsey twins have done now! Molly's furious! Come on!"

They both quickly glanced over their shoulders at Harry and Alice, beaming just as brightly as the sunshine.

"Until next year, Harry..."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but I was actually going to make it ONLY an author's note for a moment, but I decided that that was just mean! :D**

**Remember to review, and tell me how you think the story will end! I've kind of had writer's block, so please be a good little medicine to my illness and help me! :)**

**REVIEW! :D**

**Love,**

**Little Miss (threatening) English Nerd :P**


	8. Occluded

**DISCLAIMER: Oh how I wish I could say I owned the series...sigh. It's JK Rowling's. All of it. Except for the plot/any characters you don't recognize from the books. KK. Please don't sue me. :)**

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**Chapter 8**

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**Hermione POV**

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I was in a world of dreams. Reality slipped through my fingers each time I reached for it, easing its way through my desperate hands like water.

The dreams I had were usually good, though they were random, and made little to no sense.

A bad dream had finally overtook me, cramming its slimy tentacles through my brain and playing with my emotions.

_Draco was standing at the edge of a forest, Dumbledore calmly by his side. The man I loved -and no, not the Headmaster- looked tired, worn, and dirty. The blond hair that I'd once stroked looked like an angry cat that had just trampled through a flower patch, sticking up in all directions, covered in grime. His face bore a few scratches that ran up and down his cheekbones; I envied the tree limbs that had caressed him, as that was all I wanted to do. _

_I tore my saddened gaze away from Draco, searching the forest instead. The two men were at a small clearing...make that, a small cemetery. I shuddered to think of what kind of sick twist would live in a house just next to a burial ground, but I immediately realized that they'd found my curser. _

_Dread. The awful feeling overcame me while I found myself sprinting to Draco, trying to call his name. _

_"DRACO! RUN! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!" I shrieked, sounding relatively like a banshee. _

_He didn't hear me. His very life could end, and he couldn't heed my warning-he actually couldn't even_ hear _my warning!_

_I stood next to my lover, panting hard as I tried everything I could to reach him. _

_This dream was different from all the rest; I could almost feel the mossy forest floor under the soles of my feet, nearly taste the fresh mountain air, barely smell the faint, lingering scent of death that emanated from the rotted corpses, the remains of generations past. _

_As I gazed at Draco, a slight movement in the background caught my eye; the cottage door was open. _

_In the doorway, a pale, shaking figure was leaning against the stoop, a brittle smile on an albino face. _

_"I'm sorry, cousin, but you walked into this..." The icy person whispered. "Avada Kedavra." _

_Before my very eyes, Draco was struck down, the green light from the wand's wielder still crackling through the air._

_I fell to the ground, not seeing, not hearing, not caring about the killer. The only thing I cared about was the blankly staring form on the ground in front of me._

_The form of the love of my life, Draco Malfoy._

_

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**Ginny POV**

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Standing at Hermione's bedside, I noticed that the equipment that hooked her up to the various machines was beeping rather rapidly.

"Healer Goddard! Come quickly!" I shrieked, not caring that I woke up a particularly foul old man in the vicinity from a deep slumber. "The machines are acting up! Fix her!"

Instead of the healer's usually nasally reply, a deep, shaking voice came from the small office door.

Goddard's face was immensely pale, his glasses-framed eyes glazed over like a piece of earthenware.

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"Gone to free another from a curse,

The betrayer will journey far and wide.

Nothing can save that love struck man,

Unless the ocean changes tides.

Two years after his grave,

Seemingly a hundred.

One decision may save."

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With that, the good doctor's face grew white, and he collapsed on the stone floor.

"HELP! HELLLLPPP!"

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**Draco POV**

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"Draco Malfoy, I believe we have some explaining to do..." A mesmerizingly beautiful voice whispered in my ear.

I opened my steel eyes. One would've thought that if one opens their eyes, they'd be able to see better; that was not the case.

Clouds occluded my vision, and for what felt like an eternity, vision evaded me, the way a family of four always evades the creepy man that they see in a restaurant.

A beautiful figure suddenly stepped into my line of sight; brown, curly hair, thick eyelashes, those unforgettable, molten eyes.

"Her-Hermione?"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Sorry for the shortness! This is just one of those "needs-to-be-short" chapters, you know? **

**Anwhooo, pleeeeeaseeee reviewwwww! My threat from the previous chapter no longer stands, as it was just more of a way for me to get some more ideas. I had a dream a few nights ago, and it helped me decide how this should end! Thanks!**

**REVIEW. NOW. CLICK THE LITTLE REVIEW BUTTON!**

**Love, **

**Little Miss English Nerd**

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**PS: **

**REVIEW.**

**CLICK THE BUTTON.**

****with a creepy accent****

**You know you wantttt ttoooo! :D**

**

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**

**PSS: I found a way to get around FanFiction's failures! BWAHAHHA! I WILL post this chapter, even in the midst of this horrible tragedy! You simply MUST comment, after all the lovely things I've done for you! Thanks!

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**

**PSSS: COMMMMMENTTT!**

**REVIEWWWWW!**

**PLEEEEASE!**

**I BEG OF YOUUUU! :D**

**(it rhymed, so I simply HAD to...sorry, my inner writer!) :P**

******l**  
**l**  
**l**  
**l**  
**l**  
**l**  
**V**  



	9. Author's Note: Please Read!

AUTHOR'S NOTE (PLEASE READ):

Hello there!

I'd just really like to apologize for not updating very often! I've been extremely BUSY with my school's play (Taming of the Shrew), and I've also been rather ill for the past week (vomiting and whatnot...gross)...you know how it is, being ill; you just want to lie down and sleep, most of the time... :)

I'd like to inform you that I'm kind of upset with how this story has turned out so far, so it will be finished soon, hopefully with a good ending! I have my ideas, but I'm not exactly sure how to add them into the story, yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out! :)

All in all, please have patience with me! I'm the not-so-average teenage girl, but I still have a life! ( :) ) And, I've been having play practice about three days a week, and they really sap up a LOT of my time in the afternoons! Again, my deepest apologies!

Oh, and I've also been working a little on a new story of mine! It probably won't be updated until at least May-ish, because I'd like to make sure that I have about ten to fifteen chapters done, so that I won't be rushing to write and post. It would also give me more of a chance to proofread my work!

Thank you SO much for reading!

Please continue the reviews! It kinda disheartens me to see how many reviews the first story has, and then only see twenty or so on here, so please help me feel like this story isn't a total fail!

Lots of love,

Little Miss English Nerd :D


	10. Adele Oblada Life Goes On

**DISCLAIMER: **

**"I gotta dollar, I gotta dollar, I gotta dollar, hey hey hey hey!"**

**"Too bad JK Rowling has like a billion dollars because of the Harry Potter series, which she and SHE ALONE owns."**

** Sighhh. All characters that you recognize from the books are hers, okay? The plot (and a few added people, including Alma, which you'll see this chapter!) is mine, though!**

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**ENJOYYY! :D**

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**Chapter 9**

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**Draco POV**

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I was dead, and so was Hermione.

Her smile was radiant, seeming to actually shine in this bright place of light. Heaven? No, it couldn't be..._I_, Draco Malfoy, in heaven? It couldn't be! The son of a Death Eater?

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione repeated in a heavenly voice not her own. "I need to talk to you. Do you recognize me, Draco Malfoy?"

The otherworldly voice, repeating my name...the library!

"Alma?" I guessed, looking at the majestic being again. Suddenly, Hermione was gone, replaced instead by the very same angel from Bibliotheca Omnia.

Alma nodded in agreement and, seeing my puzzled face, beckoned me over to a golden bench that I hadn't noticed before. "Draco Malfoy, as you can probably tell, you are dead, though this won't remain for long, if you so choose, Draco Malfoy..."

My eyes widened, and I wondered if angels could go crazy; I wouldn't remain dead? Had that ever happened before?

"I sense your confusion, Draco Malfoy. Allow me to explain..." The angel said kindly, taking one of my unworthy hands in her pure, right palm. I was suddenly put at ease, the warm, embracing feelings that washed off of her, coming to comfort me...it-it reminded me of Hermione; always there, not giving up, beautiful...

"Draco Malfoy, you were killed by your second cousin, Adele Malfoy. She was supposed to be your wife, Draco Malfoy; the marriage was arranged years before you were born, though, and once you were actually together, you and Adele didn't get along too well, and that ended that... But of course, you remember now, Draco Malfoy?"

And I did. Once, when I was about five, my parents brought another little blond child to our mansion, and told us to play together...it ended with her loosing a bit of hair and me earning a black eye.

_A match made in heaven,_ I thought ironically, looking around me and feeling the urge to laugh.

"Y-yes, I remember, Alma..." I said, wanting to excuse the matter to find out about Hermione.

"Good, very good, Draco Malfoy," the angel smiled, rubbing soothing circles into the back of my hand. "Anyway, Adele wanted to marry you, because she heard your family was very powerful and rich. Word got to her that you loved a muggle witch, and her jealousy overflowed. Your cousin hexed Hermione with so much rage that the curse began to morph and worsen. Dumbledore knew about the arranged marriage, so he had a good idea of who might've cursed Miss Granger; he was right, of course. Adele saw you two approaching the house, and she decided that if she couldn't have you, nobody could. Doesn't hatred have a way of dooming, Draco Malfoy?" Alma asked rhetorically, knowing that I was still to shocked to answer.

"Miss Granger is still in St. Mungo's, Draco Malfoy. She's alive, but barely, and she's creeping closer to death's door every second. You can save her, you know..."

"Save her? I can save her?" I asked, knowing that it was impossible to bring people back from the dead. "How can a dead person save a dying person?"

"Easily, considering Hermione has already made sure that you would be safe. Again, please let me shed some light on the subject, Draco Malfoy. Well, your brilliant Miss Granger was in the library last September, in the restricted section-with permission of course-. She was just meandering through the books, and she found one she liked. It was talking about life sources. Life sources are how a being manages to survive, to thrive; have you not heard of heartbroken lovers dying, Draco Malfoy? They died because half of their life source was gone.

"Draco Malfoy, you humans are curious beings that even I don't fully understand. Sometimes, when a spouse or a loved one dies, the person left behind can't withstand the heartbreak, and they simply lose the will to go on. On the other hand, some of the beings that have been left behind still survive; it all depends on the person, really.

"Hermione found this extremely interesting, so she decided to cast an old spell from the book that enabled her to share her life source with the one who was truly meant for her. That, Draco Malfoy, is you."

If it was possible, my eyes would've gotten even bigger, but as were already the size of television screens, it's highly doubtful that that happened.

"Since the beginning of time, everything has been planned out; you and Hermione Jean Granger were simply meant to be, Draco Malfoy. Because of this, when Hermione wakes up to find that you died, she will be completely heartbroken and will pass away. Only you can save her, Draco Malfoy."

I hated when people depended on me; I always seemed to fail at the worst of times. But, this was Hermione, the love of my life. "How-how can I? I'll do anything, Alma, anything! She needs to live!" I said, determined to give anything to save her.

"Very good, Draco Malfoy. Actually, you will both survive if everything works out right, though Hermione may be a little weaker than hoped for. Draco Malfoy, the spell she preformed was called 'simul aeternum,' which means, forever together. The gist of the spell is that as long as you both live, you will both be happy and healthy. If one of the pair dies, or is mortally wounded, the other will begin to die as well. However, when you died, you died to protect Miss Granger (#1). Because of that, it is allowed for you to take some of her life source to revive yourself, and then go to her, thus completing the spell and restoring you both to your original states."

_Take some of Hermione's life source? Isn't that a little risky? _

"You will have one hour from the time you come back; if you do not reach Miss Granger in that time period, you will both perish. Would you like to take the risk, Draco Malfoy?"

I gulped, nodding slightly. "Yes, Alma, I would."

A heavenly grin once again invaded my senses, and I furrowed my eyebrows together resolutely; I was going to save Hermione, no matter what.

"You have exactly one hour, Draco Malfoy. Good luck." Alma wished me.

I blinked and felt myself being whisked away from the golden place in the clouds, or whatever it was.

Plunged into darkness, I reached my hands in front of me, finding a velvety surface in just in front of my face.

Velvet, darkness, weird smells...

"I'm in a coffin..." I stated calmly, not really realizing what I'd just uttered.

The news hit me like a ton of bricks. "I'm. In. A. Coffin. I'M IN A COFFIN! SOMEBODY! I NEED TO SAVE HERMIONE! HELPPP!"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**HI! Thanks for reading! I hope that this chapter explained what happened in the last chapter! Dontcha just love Alma? She kinda reminds me of Luna; calm, laid back, yet serious.**

**Please tell me what you thought! If you have any questions for me, I'm planning to answer all of them in the next chapter, so please, ask away!**

**And if you're still confused, just tell me, and I'll try to explain!**

**Review, please! :D**

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**


	11. Partings, Parties, and Piñatas

**EEK! The story is almost done! I'm sure this is the second to last chapter! Yay! :D**

**Please R&R, lovies! Thanks for reading! Enjoyyyy! :D**

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**DISCLAIMER: **

**JK Rowling: Do you like donuts? Delicious donuts? Then you deserve, a delicious donut!**

**Me: I'm not so sure about donuts, but I LOOOOVE Draco Malfoy! I wanna MARRY HIM!**

**JK Rowling: UH UHHHH! He's MIIIIINE! If anybody has the right to marry him, it would be ME! I'm happily married, though, so I don't think I'll be doing that... Oh, and don't you even THINK about laying a finger on ANY of my other characters, either! In fact, everything in this except for the plot is mine, pretty much! **

**Me: Fiiiiine... Sorry, JK... Can you not sue me? I loooove you? :) **

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**Chapter 10**

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**Narcissa POV**

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"Draco, Draco!" I sobbed quietly, sitting in the barely occupied, stained glass chapel.

A pang of regret stabbed my heart as I looked around; all of Draco's friends were at St. Mungo's with Hermione, though I understood the importance of them being there. Why lose a life to mourn one?

_Hermione needs to be surrounded by all her loved ones...too bad that my son isn't there...he could've saved her, most definitely... _

Another piteous wail escaped my lips. I buried my head in my hands and sobbed. Lucius couldn't even _attend_! The rest of my family had been taken away from me, as well. I was all alone. My pureblooded, stuck up family was gone. Regret hit me then; how could I have let Lucius instill such horrid morals in my only child? I could almost hear Draco, hear him begging me to help him.

_Hang on. Hear him? _ I thought, raising my head so quickly that I nearly had whiplash.

"HELP!" A muffled, male voice called with an accompanying pounding.

I jumped out of the pew, scaring the pastor while he numbly made the same speech he did for every other departed soul. Struggling with the coffin lid, I finally managed to pry it open, gasping with relief when my son -_my son!_- blinked from the bright light that suddenly assaulted his retinas.

Pulling him from his _once_ final resting place with all my strength, I crushed him to me. "DRACO! H-how? My son! Oh, I love you, Draco!"

He wrapped his arms around me, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I'm okay mum, I'm okay." He said soothingly, rubbing my back. He suddenly tensed. "But I won't be for long if I don't get to Hermione! How far away is St. Mungos? Can we apparate there?"

Without questioning, I grabbed his hand, striding powerfully down the hallway like I'd been raised to. "We can't apparate, but we can floo! There's a house down the street with a large fireplace, I think, and I have a bit of floo power in my bag. Hurry, Draco!" I handed him the power, gesturing to the destination with one free hand.

He ran up ahead, reaching the house and banging on the door, revealing Mathilda Bagshot, an old friend of mine. I watched his eager face from afar, then averted my gaze to the heavens.

"Thank you, thank you!" I sobbed again, though this time out of happiness. A miracle was very rare, but a miracle it had been.

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**Draco POV**

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As I exited the flames and entered St. Mungos, I immediately ran to the desk, my legs a little stiff from being...dead...

"Hey! Watch where you're going, psycho!" A voice called out from behind me. I nonchalantly waved at them, and continued pushing through the crowd to get to the reception desk.

"I...need...to...see...Hermione...Granger...right...NOW!" I panted, slamming my hand on the table and demanding all of the lazy receptionist's attention. She looked at me, bored, but handed me a slip of paper with the information. "Thank-thank...you..."

I pelted towards the lifts, only to see an "OUT OF ORDER" sign taunting me in orange letters.

"WHHHYYYYYY!" I screamed, aghast, dropping to my knees. Alma must've been having quite an amazing time watching this little soap opera unfold... "I have to run up seven flights of stairs! Alma!" I cursed, darting away, heavily breathing.

Each marble block was my enemy as I stomped my way to Hermione's room.

_Only two more flights, only two more flights! Come on Draco! _ I encouraged myself silently, finally reaching the last flight.

My energy was completely gone. I nearly crawled up the last obstacle, wheezing and spluttering away. If I wasn't careful, a healer or two might think that I needed medical attention.

I shoved the door out of the way, happily taking in the seventh floor. I looked at my watch, realizing that I still had fifteen minutes. Pacing myself was my worst decision yet. Why?

Well, it might be due to the humongous amount of people who had just bursted through random ward doors, forming conga lines and blowing through kazoos. "HAPPY UNICORN APPRECIATION DAY!" **(#1)** A hundred voices called to each other at once, causing me to drop my jaw. Some healers carried unicorn shaped pinatas, though how hitting unicorns with a stick was appreciative, I have no idea!

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I bellowed breathlessly, shoving random unicorn-lovers away from me as I plowed through the partying hospital corridor. As I made my way, I was almost hit by a blindfolded pinata-partygoer three times!

"A _HOSPITAL, _YOU FREAKS! THIS IS A _HOSPITAL_!" I shouted loudly. I decided to play up people's sympathy, so I inhaled deeply. "MY GIRLFRIEND IS DYYYYING! MOOOOOOOOOOOVE!"

You could've heard a pin drop...for real! Everyone turned to stare at me before a healer nearby tapped my shoulder, asking which room she was in. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, making a clear, human pathway to Hermione. "Thank you!" I said at a normal volume, smiling gratefully at everyone. As the door to Hermione's room closed, I heard whispered mumblings.

"Was that _really_ Draco Malfoy? As in Lucius Malfoy's son?"

"He has a girlfriend? The only girl in that room is...Hermione Granger?"

The room was nearly as crowded as the corridor had been! About twenty people were all crammed into the small space; A sea of red hair alerted me to the Weasley family's presence, and I also saw a few schoolmates as well. All of them were staring at me, mouths open, eyes bugging out of sockets.

Oh, yeah...I was supposed to be dead...

"Um, hi..." I said pathetically, weakly smiling. "I'll-I'll explain everything later, but right now I need to see Hermione...as in, _right now_! It's extremely important!"

The oceans parted again, and I gained access to my girlfriend-_finally_!

Careful to avoid all the wires and beeping machines, I pressed my newly-alive lips to Hermione's still ones, hoping desperately for some response.

Nothing came...

A few tense minutes passed, then suddenly, something happened...

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Aaah, lovely suspense! :)**

**Next chapter will most likely be the last! Thank you for reading this sequel and whatnot! **

**Also (#1), it is for REAL "Unicorn Appreciation Day," or so said Facebook. So in that case, go hug a unicorn or something, but don't hit them with pinata sticks, okay? :P**

**Thanks! Oh, and happy belated Easter! Hope you all had a lovely break! He is risen! :)**

**Please read and review!**


	12. Miracle of Miracles

**Chapter 11**

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**Draco POV**

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Her eyes opened. Seeing her warm brown irises felt to me like a blind man seeing the sky for the first time.

A collective gasp rang throughout the room at Hermione flung herself at me, nearly causing me to lose my grip and fall. I laughed lightly, feeling freer than I had in the longest time as I kissed her face and head anxiously, mumbling her name over and over again.

"'Mione, 'Mione!" I heard a woman call hysterically. I let Hermione go, allowing her to be encircled in her parents' warm embrace as Mrs. Granger continued to sob. "We thought we'd lost you! Oh 'Mione, 'Mione! I love you so much, darling! Oh, my girl...my girl!"

Cheering then met my eardrums as I turned and met the elated faces of the gathered crowd and felt my own features light up monstrously. Harry and Ron got to my girlfriend, sending off great "woots" of merriment. I chuckled at the sight until I heard the slight creak of a door.

Dumbledore stood there, his weathered, wrinkled face looking overjoyed at the scene. The old man caught my gaze and gestured to the hallway with his head. I inconspicuously wound my way through the group as they bombarded poor 'Mione with questions and random bits of information. The hallway was nearly deserted once more, as the "Unicorn Appreciation Day" celebration had finally ended, leaving a light dusting of horse-shaped confetti on the floor-seriously? "Unicorn Appreciation Day?" People would do anything for a party...

"Mr. Malfoy, as you well know, your second cousin Adele was engaged to you when you were children, but there was...unsettled business, let's say, and your parents broke it off. You might remember Adele from your childhood, Draco, or you may not, but _she_ certainly remembered _you_. She wanted to be "Mrs. Draco Malfoy," and when she heard the news of you and Miss Granger, she knew she should have her revenge." The old man said, holding up a worn, leather journal with Adele's initials on it. He handed it to me, a wizened look upon his face. "If you would like to know anything else about your cousin, just read the journal."

Dumbledore's face returned to normal again, and he pulled a folded piece of parchment from his pocket. He handed it to me, explaining that he'd found it on his way to the hospital, and that it was addressed to me. With that, he went back in the room, leaving me to read the note.

"Dear Draco Malfoy,

I knew you would succeed, Draco Malfoy; you're a very courageous man when you put your mind to it.

I would like to inform you that you and your dearest Hermione Granger are out of harm's way now. The God of Love has seen your relationship; she approves greatly.

Good luck with your romance. Tell Hermione that I say 'hello.'

~Alma"

* * *

"Draco, are you ready to go?" Hermione asked me, swishing her beautiful brown locks behind her shoulder.

I swept in and kissed her lightly, nodding my head and grinning at her. We bid our parents another round of good-byes, climbing onto the Hogwarts express for our sixth year of education.

We found a compartment with Harry and Ron. The boys went off to find the food trolley, and I was left alone with Hermione asleep under my arm. Looking outside at the passing landscape, I sighed in contentment. A flash of light from outside caught my eye, and I could almost see a face in the clouds. I shook my head, grinning again.

"Maybe..." I looked at the sleeping form of my love, smiling as she snuggled closer into my side. "Maybe miracles and guardian angels are real after all... Oh, who am I kidding? Thank-you, Alma..." I whispered.

* * *

**THE END! :)**

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Love,**

**Little Miss English Nerd**


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